Impact Dispersing and Friction Dissipating Spring-Mounted Outer Shell Boxing Helmet for Prevention of Cumulative Long-Term Brain Damage

ABSTRACT

The innovative aspects of the Impact Dispersing and Friction Dissipating Spring-Mounted Outer Shell Boxing Helmet for Protection Against Long-Term Cumulative Brain Damage are its creation of separation and multiple buffers between the brain and the force generated by punches landing on the wearer&#39;s head, its ability to spread the force generated by direct punches over larger surface areas of the head through a spring-mounted impact dispersion system, thereby decreasing the likelihood of highly-concentrated amounts of force causing permanent damage, and the ability of its outer shell to ricochet back and forth when hit with indirect, glancing punches in a way that diverts the energy from such punches from going straight to the wearer&#39;s brain by taking advantage of naturally-occurring phenomena such as gravity and friction created by air molecule resistance.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Using the ideas of (1) Dr. Bennet Omalu's analysis of ram and woodpecker brains being anatomically suspended within their skulls to prevent brain damage from head trauma resulting from pecking wood and territorial disputes with other rams, and (2) the judo technique of hitting the ground with the arm during falls in order to spread the impact of the fall over a larger surface area and lessen the damage to the body, and (3) naturally-occurring friction created by resistance from surrounding air molecules, I have hypothesized and begun building a prototype of an impact dispersing and friction dissipating spring-mounted outer shell boxing helmet design, which is being submitted with this application with the goal of obtaining a utility patent. The ultimate goal beyond patenting this idea is to create a boxing helmet that better protects fighters' long-term brain health from both direct and glancing blows than the current headgear worn by boxers. However, if testing of the concept eventually proves to be successful, I would like to begin incorporating this idea into creating protective gear for the body, and begin experimenting with incorporating similar ideas into creating helmets for other high-contact athletes such as football, hockey and lacrosse players, as these sports all present higher-than-average risks for both head and body trauma than can lead to more advanced problems as players age. My hope is that eventually the use of this helmet by boxers during their day-to-day training will divert at least some of the force away from athletes brains that is being created through punching, and the main focus of this helmet design will be to protect fighters against the effect of medium-to-low strength blows to the head sustained day-in and day-out during training. These punches sustained during training are generally not as forceful as those a fighter sustains during a sanctioned competition, but occur far more frequently, and due to their consistent and repetitive nature, are thought by a number of brain specialist to result in even more long-term brain damage than the less frequent and more forceful punches that boxers sustain in competition. See http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/boxing-mma/more-brain-injuries-caused-by-sparring-than-real-fights/news-story/258aa1bd5e7d7823d3ddb102310f1dba (discussing the cumulative harm done to fighters' brains by repeated light blows to the head, and how this damage can be more detrimental in the long term than harder, less-frequent blows to the head sustained in competition, according to research published by a leading doctor in Melbourne, Australia who specializes in studying the long-term effects of boxing on the brain).

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The three primary goals of the impact dispersing and friction dissipating spring-mounted outer shell helmet design are to (1) create physical distance between the place where an incoming punch lands and the recipient's brain, (2) utilize a carefully-placed system of springs beneath the outer shell to spread the force from direct blows to the head over a larger surface area, thereby reducing the high concentration of damage that would otherwise be done to a smaller surface area of the brain, and (3) utilize the loose-yet-firm connection between the outer shell and the outward-facing ends of the springs which point away from the base helmet, in a way that allows glancing, less direct punches to make the outer shell ricochet back and forth, thereby using the naturally occurring created between the outer shell and surrounding air molecules, to dissipate the same kinetic force that, without such a mechanism in place, would go directly to the brain of the fighter taking such a punch. (See Pages 4 and 5 of the Drawings for a visual explanation of these effects). Conventional helmets, not only in boxing but in all contact sports, sit directly on top of the head. While certain structural advances over the years have made some difference in the effectiveness of these (hereinafter ‘single-layer’) helmets, in all cases, the surfaces of these helmets that sustain the external force are all still directly connected to the wearer's head, and accordingly, there is very little structural or physical separation between the force created by a punch landing on the outside of one of these helmets, and the brains of the athletes who wear and depend on them. By loosely mounting a three-layered outer shell (a hard plastic shell, with a layer of latex foam on both sides, enclosed in a double layer of durable canvas material) atop a single-layer helmet (hereinafter known for the purposes of this design as the ‘base helmet’) suspended by compression springs that are strategically spread over all parts of the front of the head other than the jaw area and temple areas, which are most susceptible to damage. While wearing this proposed helmet design, any direct blows that land on the wearer's head will strike the spring-mounted outer shell instead of the helmet that is making direct contact with the wearer's head, and the resulting force generated will be spread over the totality of the springs suspending the outer shell, instead of just the small concentrated area where the punch lands (See Page 4 of Drawings), and any glancing blows that land on the outer shell of this design will cause it to ricochet back and forth, which will gradually stop naturally due to friction resulting from surrounding air molecules, thereby causing the energy transferred by a glancing punch to dissipate through the outer shell and the surrounding air molecules that naturally resist its movement, instead of going directly to the brain of the athlete as is the case if they are wearing a single-layer helmet that sits directly atop the head. The use of 0.625 inch springs to mount the outer shell atop the base helmet creates physical separation between the brain of the helmet wearer and the location where sustained punches land, and spreads the force created by these punches over a larger surface area of the head, which therefore reduces the overall force of direct and glancing punches by 1) creating distance between the landing zone of the punch and the brain, and 2) diverting the energy created by these punches in a way that prevents the totality of the force generated from traveling directly to a small, concentrated part of the user's brain. Once the prototype of this design has been completed (See Page 6 of Drawings), it is my hope to have the spring-mounted outer shell helmet tested in a laboratory to determine the extent to which it helps prevents raw force from reaching the brains of its users, which may prove to be a step in the right direction in terms of preventing long-term brain damage from disrupting the later lives of boxers and other high-trauma contact sport participants.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

On the first page of drawings included with this patent application,

FIG. 1A shows a frontal view of the base helmet,

FIG. 1B shows a frontal view of the base helmet with attached springs, which mount the outer shell that sustains incoming punches (shown transparently in FIG. 1B), and

FIG. 1C shows a non-transparent frontal view of helmet's outer shell. The second page of drawings, which features

FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, shows the same progression drawings as the first, except from a side perspective. The third page of drawings provides a cross section of how the spring-mounted helmet design is constructed, and describes the role that the tightness of the high-strength industrial thread used to connect the springs and outer shell in their capacity as the friction dissipation component of the helmet. The fourth page of drawings shows the intended effect that the helmet will have of lessening the damage sustained by direct punches to the head by diverting the amount of force from sustained punches that directly reaches the brain, with

FIG. 4A showing the damage sustained when an incoming direct punch lands on a conventional single-layer helmet, and

FIG. 4B showing the damage sustained when the same punch lands on the spring-mounted outer shell helmet, which is less concentrated due to the energy from the punch being spread over a larger surface area of the head, thereby reducing the concentration of force that would otherwise be directed toward a much smaller section of the recipient's head. The fifth page of drawings shows the intended effect of the helmet design to also lessen the damage sustained by receiving indirect, glancing punches to the head, with

FIG. 5A showing the damage sustained when an incoming glancing punch lands on a conventional single-layer helmet, and

FIG. 5B showing the damage sustained when the same kind of indirect punch lands on the loosely-attached outer shell, and how this loose attachment of the outer shell atop the springs will cause a glancing punch to make the outer shell ricochet back and forth, which will dissipate the force generated by the glancing punch, in a way that ultimately allows nature to do the work of reducing the amount of force from the punch that reaches the brain, by means of the natural forces of gravity's pull and friction's dissipation of kinetic energy, which will eventually stop the kinetic movement of the outer shell that resulted from it's being punched.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The bottom layer of this helmet which sits directly atop the wearer's head is a standard single-layer boxing helmet (‘base helmet’) which emphasizes protection of the facial area, but is inherently limited because it is in direct contact with the wearer's head. 0.625 inch flat-ended, wire springs with a diameter of 0.051 inches will be placed at various strategic points over the base helmet, each atop a double layer of canvas cloth, which are sewn tightly onto the surface of the base helmet using high-strength industrial thread and a curved heavy-duty upholstery sewing needle. The placement of these springs is such that no springs will be resting atop two of the most vulnerable parts of the head, the jaw and the temples, which because of the outer shell acting as a buffer, prevents any force from having a direct impact on these areas. Instead, the force generated by an incoming punch will be spread to the other springs across the helmet, and always away from the jaw and temples, no matter where the opponent strikes the outer shell. Next, Double-layered sheets of durable canvas will then be sewn to the other end of each of the springs. These sheets must be large enough and separated in such a way where they are able to fully enclose the hard outer shell, surrounded on both sides by a layer of latex foam, while also allowing for the necessary openings at the wearer's eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and back of the head, which allow the user to see and breathe while also making sure that they do not overheat. The outer design shown in FIG. 1C and FIG. 2C of the Drawings will then be created by sewing additional layers of canvas atop the double-layer of canvas which serves as the enclosure of the latex foam-surrounded outer shell. 

1. The subject matter regarded as the primary claim is the impact dispersing and friction dissipating spring-mounted outer shell helmet design, through which the outer shell of the helmet is suspended by strategically-placed springs that sit atop the base helmet, which collectively serve to spread the force generated by direct punches over a larger surface area of the head, thereby reducing the concentration of the force sustained to the area where the punch lands, and the outer shell will be loosely attached to the ends of the springs facing away from the base helmet, in such a way that the firm-yet-loose high-strength industrial thread holding the springs and outer shell together will provide enough give for the outer shell to ricochet back and forth, and dissipate force generated before such force is able to travel directly to the brain, when it is struck with an indirect, glancing blow. The outer shell sits suspended by compression springs atop the base helmet, and the base helmet sits directly on the wearer's head. This spring-mounted outer shell design operates under a combination of three distinct theories for the purposes of protecting the brain from excessive damage and mitigating the effect of blows to the head sustained over a prolonged period of time by athletes participating in high-intensity contact sports. The first theory behind the impact dispersing, friction dissipating spring-mounted outer shell's effectiveness is that the physical distance between the wearer's brain and the outer shell where punches land will reduce some punch-generated force from traveling straight to the wearer's brain, due to the buffer created by the physical and structural distance. This physical distance between the brain and the area where a punch lands will serve to reduce the amount of sheer force that reaches the brain much more effectively than a conventional single-layer boxing helmet that sits directly atop the wearer's head (and therefore is inherently unable to provide this same physical buffer.) Additionally, the separation of the outer shell into three distinct layers (the hard plastic outer shell surrounded by latex foam on both sides and enclosed by a double layer of canvas material) creates extra additional layers of physical and structural resistance, on top of that already created by the placement of the springs, through which force generated by incoming punches will have a harder time travelling through compared with a single-layer helmet. This design is largely based on the anatomical structure of woodpecker and ram brains. As was pointed out by renowned brain researcher Dr. Bennet Omalu, and mentioned in the movie ‘Concussion’, the brains of woodpeckers and rams are connected to fibrous evolutionary structures that anatomically suspend their brains within their skulls, which serve as protection against brain damage that would otherwise result from instinctively-engrained behaviors such as pecking wood at a rapid speed and challenging rivals to head-bashing territorial disputes. However, human brains are much more vulnerable because we as a species have never adopted these same evolutionary brain structure traits that mitigate the effects of degenerative head trauma. Human brains more or less just float inside the skulls with nothing anatomically protective holding them in place. The lack of a suspension structure in our brains similar to those in woodpecker and ram brains means that when humans get hit in the head, our free-floating, delicate brains are more or less just slammed into the side of our skull with nothing to restrain their movement. A person's brain slamming into the side of their skull is ordinarily what causes what is known as a ‘knock out’ in boxing, and is a natural reaction to trauma received that our brains are not evolutionarily equipped to handle. While humans do not have the same internal brain protections as these animals, the main goal of this helmet is to attempt to do the next best thing. The helmet design proposed in this utility patent application seeks to protect the vulnerable human brain by attempting to create externally the same evolutionary structures that protect woodpeckers and rams from degenerative brain conditions and allow them to incur repeated head trauma without the same degenerative effects that humans would otherwise naturally experience. It is by incorporating these evolutionary structures into a wearable apparatus that this design aims to prevent or at the very least lessen the effects of degenerative brain illness in boxers, and eventually other athletes, with the hope that lessening the amount of force that reaches the brain directly will mitigate cognitive decline resulting from sustained head trauma, with the ultimate goal of allowing former contact sport athletes to sustain their mental well-being and independence as they age. The second theory behind the effectiveness of the spring-mounted outer shell helmet design is that the springs suspending the outer shell above the base helmet will disburse the force generated by direct punches over a greater surface area of the head than a single-layer helmet sitting directly atop the head would. By channeling force from a punch hitting the outer shell over a larger surface area of the head, The goal of the spring suspension structure is to spread the force of any blow that hits any part of the outer shell over a larger surface area of the head, thereby preventing the concentration of damage that would otherwise be restricted to a smaller surface area of the brain while also preventing direct force from impacting the jaw and temple areas, which are arguably the two most vulnerable areas on the front and sides of the head (See FIG. 4B). This principle of spreading the impact over a larger surface area is derived from the falling technique that judo practitioners use to lessen the impact of hitting the ground when they are thrown by their opponent. When taking a fall in judo, practitioners are instructed to hit the ground with their arm right as they land. This method of falling spreads the overall impact of a fall over a larger surface area of the body, which not only reduces pain, but also reduces the likelihood of injury, since a smaller surface area of the body hitting the ground does not lessen the amount of force generated by your body hitting the ground; it just makes it that much worse and intense for the smaller, more concentrated surface area of the body that is forced to absorb the entire impact. The third theory behind the effectiveness of this spring-mounted outer shell design is the outer shell's somewhat-loose attachment to the springs, on the ends of them that face outward and away from the base helmet. The outer shell will be attached by loops of high-strength industrial thread that are small enough to keep the outer shell securely fastened to the spring ends, but large enough so that the outer shell is not firmly fixed in place with nowhere to move. Constructing the helmet in a way that allowing the outer shell to have this wide range of motion will allow the outer shell to ricochet when struck by glancing punches, which means that instead of traveling straight to the brain, this force will manifest itself by causing the outer shell to ricochet back and forth, and such a design allows this force generated to dissipate naturally through its interactions with gravity and the surrounding air molecules which create friction that will stifle the outer shell's kinetic energy, meaning that the energy that was transferred to the outer shell that caused it to ricochet it will never directly reach the brain as it would in the case of an indirect, glancing punch striking a single-layer helmet. This construct, which makes use of natural-occurring gravity and friction resulting from air molecule resistance to stop the ricochet motion, is thus consistent with the overall aim of this helmet design by seeking to preventing as much concentrated force from reaching the brain as is possible, with the ultimate goal being to mitigate a boxer's risk of developing mental health problems later in life that are associated with sustaining consistent blunt force trauma to the head over a long period of time. By putting as many buffers as are practically and ergonomically possible between the human brain and any amount of force generated that is directed toward it by a striking object, and by utilizing a spring-mounted system that spreads the force of sustained head trauma over a larger surface area of the head, the impact dispersing and friction dissipating spring-mounted outer shell boxing helmet seeks to lessen the amount of force directly absorbed by the boxer's brains throughout the course of their day-to-day training, which should ultimately mitigate the amount of cumulative long-term brain damage sustained. The overall aim of this invention is to mitigate, to the extent possible, brain damage suffered by those who decide to box, whether for fun or professionally. Countless studies have shown that those who box are astoundingly more susceptible to developing cognitive ailments such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and pugilistic dementia later in life. For centuries, boxers have sacrificed their bodies, minds and lives to participate in a grueling sport that crosses cultural boundaries and brings joy to millions, and these people without a doubt deserve both our gratitude and our best efforts, whenever possible, to make sure that they are able to live comfortable, peaceful lives once their careers have ended. The helmet design incorporating the spring-mounted outer shell that is being submitted as part of this specific utility patent application (and that which is currently being built for initial testing) is intended for use in boxing specifically. The reasoning behind this is based on a personal belief that boxers out of all contact-sport athletes have perhaps the greatest need for improved head protection. Should this patent be approved, my plan is to send a working version of this design to either the Brain Trauma Foundation or the Brain Injury Research Institute so that clinical testing can be undertaken to determine the extent of brain protection that this spring-mounted outer shell design offers to its users, in comparison with that being offered by the conventional single-layer helmets that boxers currently use in training. If the tests prove to be successful, I would like to implement this design in helmets for use in other high-intensity contact sports such as football, hockey, and lacrosse, among others, with the hope that this idea can promote better long term brain health for athletes competing in sports such as these that carry an inherently higher risk of causing cumulative long-term brain injury, such that carries a high likelihood of decreasing the overall quality of these athletes' lives as they age. It is my hope that if this design proves to be effective, it may be able to be implemented in other sports equipment that improves the quality of the athletes who sacrifice their lives and bodies to entertain the rest of us through the sports that we are all so passionate about while knowing next to nothing about what the people who perform them to live better and more fulfilling lives once their careers have ended. 